Fix: iPhone Not Showing Up in Windows Explorer

A lot of iPhone users say that the iPhone Not Showing Up in Windows Explorer when they plug in their device. Several Windows 11/10 users have also said they are having the same problem. The problem, according to the users, happens when they connect their iPhone to a Windows 10 system and it doesn’t recognize the iPhone.

Users have a hard time with the problem because they can’t move their files from their iPhone to the system. The problem is most often caused by a bad or uncertified cable. But there are also other reasons.

So, this article will list all of the fixes that have helped many other people with the same problem. But before we talk about how to fix the problem, let’s take a look at the most common causes.

Fix: iPhone Not Showing Up in Windows Explorer

Change USB cable or USB port

You might be upset if your USB cable is broken or not fully connected. Also, some cables can only charge the phone and not transfer data, so please try a new Apple Official Cable USB cable to see if the problem goes away with the new one. If it’s still not working, try plugging the USB cable into a different USB port.

Also, make sure that both ends of the USB cable are fully plugged in. This will make sure that your phone and computer are connected well. If you change the USB cable or USB port, the icon for your iPhone should show up on your computer. If that doesn’t work, try the next method.

Choose another active driver in device manager

• Tap on Windows key + X or right-click on the “Start” button of your Windows PC to enter “Device Manager”as way 4. Next, expand”Universal Serial Bus controllers”and double-click on “Apple Mobile Device USB Driver”.
• Then under the Driver section, you can choose “Update Driver”.
• Click Browse my computer for driver software > Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
• Select “MTP USB Device” and click on “Next”.

Try the official or MFi-certified USB cable

You can make a good connection between your computer and iPhone if you use an original USB cable or other accessories that have the Made For iOS (MFi) certification. Also, USB cables that aren’t certified may damage your iPhone, iPad, or iPod.

If you already have the original or MFi USB cable, try different USB ports on your computer. The connection problem could also be caused by a broken USB port.

Change active drive in Device Manager

• Run Device Manager on your computer. Expand “Universal Serial Bus Controller”. Go to the Device Manager on your computer and after that, expand “Universal Serial Bus Controllers”.
• Open “Apple Mobile Device USB Driver”.
• Choose the Driver tab. Click “Update Driver.”
•  Choose “Browse my computer for driver software”. Then click “Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer”. 
• Click “MTP USB Device”. Click “Next” to continue. Then follow the instruction to complete it.

Make sure your computer has full access to the iTunes folder

• Open “This PC” icon the desktop. Or press “Win” + “e” keys on your keyboards to open Files Explorer.
• Click “Music” on the left side of the window. Right-click on the iTunes folder, and click “Properties”.
• Make sure the “Read Only” is unchecked. And click “Apply” or “OK” to save the change.
• If the problem is still here. Choose “Security” tab on the Properties of iTunes folder. Click “Edit”.
• In this dialogue, tick “Full Control” or tick “Allow” next to the Full Control. And save the change.

FAQs